Firm cries foul over bid for Sagada water project

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province – A firm for a huge water project is crying foul after this town government’s bids and awards committee found it had lowest bid but was “disqualified” by the BAC.

Benguet Builders who bid lowest at P32 .1 million for a P35.2 million improvement of Buasao irrigation system and construction of Tanulong Tribe Irrigators Association Water Services, was disregarded after taking part in the bidding Dec. 23, 2011.

In their motion for reconsideration, they said their disqualification was “discriminatory and rendering undue favoritism to FFJJ Construction.”

Claiming that Benguet Builders was accepted during the bid opening, engineer Thomas Batnag of Benguet Builders said “any question related thereto had already been considered waived by the BAC. To rule now for its (Benguet Builders) disqualification would result to advantage of FFJJ Construction.”

Following evaluation of the four bid documents submitted, the BAC found Benguet Builders “non-responsive” in its abstract of bids; and considered FFJJ recommended for the implementation of the project being the “most responsive.”

In their motion for reconsideration, Batnag said there was “substantial compliance of the requirements considering that they submitted the summary of cost estimates”.

The Procurement Law (RA 9184) provides, “Prior to Bid evaluation, the BAC shall examine first the technical components of the bids using "pass/fail" criteria to determine whether all required documents are present. Only bids that are determined to contain all the bid requirements of the technical component shall be considered for opening and evaluation of their financial component.”

Four bidders were considered for the P35.2 million Buasao waterworks project: Benguet Builders represented by Isabelo Abing, Cotabato –based FFJJ Construction, Tarlac-based BMK Construction and Tuguegarao-based Camia Construction- in the December 23 bidding.

FFJJ Construction bid P34.9 million with piping works worth P31 million, clearing and grubbing at P47 thousand, solid rock excavation at P710 thousand, and carpentry works at P136 thousand.

Benguet Builders bid the lowest at P32.1 million with piping works costing P20.7 million, clearing and grubbing at P2.8 million, solid rock excavation at P4 million and carpentry works at P951 thousand.

Benguet Builders said “What should be paramount is the benefit the bid works for the government and the procuring agency”, stating that its “bid is the most beneficial to the government and the procuring agency considering that it is the least burdensome on the government coffers with its bid of lower by P2.8 million than FFPJ Construction. Over and above technicality, the amount of almost 3 million pesos would be for the benefit of the government.”

The Buasao waterworks project is funded by P18 million from the priority development assistance funds of Sen. Teofisto Guingona 111 and additional funds from the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project. Said project is expected to answer the water woes of the tourist town of Sagada.

It was known further that Department of Agriculture Secretary Prospero Alcala in his visit to Mountain Province December last year said the DA shall be funding 30 percent of CHARMP project costs and CHARMP beneficiary barangays shouldering 20 percent of projects implemented in their locality.

Barangay beneficiaries source their counterpart from LGUs and other agencies. CHARMP shoulders 50 percent of the total cost of the project.